AN injury scare left Wagga Heat coach Allan Mullins wondering if he’d be without key player Zac Maloney for the semi final.
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However Maloney has recovered quickly, clearing the shadow of doubt set over the team’s finals chances.
Maloney, who corked his knee during the Waratah League quarter final last Saturday, will be on the starting line up this Saturday.
“After the game it swelled up pretty bad, I could barely put any weight on it,” Maloney said.
“It’s all good now, I’ve been going to the physio, I’ve got the all clear to play.”
Maloney hit 10 three-pointers and scored a career high of 33 points on Saturday.
Coupled with the league’s top scorer Gage Daye, the duo are set to wow spectators at Sutherland Stadium.
“If we shoot the way we did [last Saturday], I don’t think any team in the league will be able to beat us,” Maloney said.
“But it will be very rare to come out and shoot like that on an opponent’s court.”
Third-ranked Wagga Heat face opponents they are yet to encounter, second-placed Sydney Uni Spiders, ahead on percentages.
“We suspect they’ll be a lot like our team, very young, very fast, and they have a lot of good shooters,” Maloney said.
Mullins has urged the team to focus on containing Sydney Uni defensively.
Players will draw from advice handed down by Mullins’ son Ben, who plays for St George, and has played against Sydney Uni throughout the season.
Mullins has been careful to ensure the Heat are well-rested for the semi final.
“We’ll just do some light training this week, I don’t want to injure anybody,” he said.
The Sydney Uni Spiders buried the Queanbeyan Yowies 79 to 71 in the quarter finals on Saturday.
The Wagga Heat won the series over Queanbeyan 2-1. The Heat’s sole loss to Queanbeyan took place on the second match of a double header, in a crucial qualifying time for Queanbeyan.